Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Trader Joe's

Overstimulated

March 7, 2023 at 8:20 am by Claudia

When I go to Trader Joe’s – and that is a rare occurrence these days – I have to buy flowers because they’re so inexpensive. This bouquet is currently brightening up the kitchen. But, in actuality, there’s not much that interests us there. We did buy a few frozen things to have on hand for when we can’t squeeze in a trip to the grocery store. The fact is, Don’s cooking is so good for us and our needs that we are no longer drawn to Trader Joe’s.

Except for flowers. And our favorite black bean and cheese taquitos, which we love to have on hand. We did stock up on them, as well as a few other items and some almond milk for me. And their lavender soap, which I love. This particular TJs is always SO busy. The parking lot is a madhouse with every driver out for him/herself, desperate to find a parking space. Yikes!

IKEA was fun, but exhausting. It wasn’t crowded, so it’s not as if we had to deal with too many people. But it’s so overwhelming – so much stuff! To be fair to IKEA, it’s because of me. I have very little patience for shopping in a huge store – or any store, to be honest – anymore. After a while, the lights irritate my eyes, the displays everywhere, the sheer amount of items to ‘take in;’ it’s all too much. Plus, I was a bit dehydrated after having had two large mugs of coffee. There’s only so much water I can drink when I know I’m going to be in the car for an hour and a half, so I hadn’t had my usual quota.

All that being said, what IKEA does is really marvelous. And their displays are so well done. The arrows that direct you around the store, the fun little things you find along the way, the information on each item and where to find it, all of it is impeccably done. What did we grab along the way? Only things that we needed and had needed for a long time: new potholders, a steamer insert, a cooking pot, some pads for the bottom of furniture legs, 6 extra spoons (hurrah!) And the mystery item, which will be revealed in due time. We were going to eat there, but we wanted to get going, so we grabbed a veggie hot dog or two at the Bistro right by the checkout and ate them in the car before we headed back north for Trader Joe’s and the thruway. We love where we live, but most any sort of adventure involves a lot of driving time, so when you add 3 hours on the road, two hours in IKEA, and about 30 minutes in TJs, it all adds up. Just as when we have to go into the city for an audition or work – the bus commute alone takes about 3 1/2 hours, the drive to the bus station from our house is about 40 minutes round trip, and then you add in the additional time needed to do business in the city. It’s a long day. There’s usually not any time available for anything else. I’m not complaining, it just comes with our choice to live where we live.

Today, I plan to tackle the project, which will require some help from Don. I didn’t start it yesterday because I promised him I wouldn’t. Turns out I was too tired to do that anyway. We have to move a piece of furniture before I can start.

Oh, the pair of Carolina wrens appeared again this morning, but this time, one of them flew up to the top of our porch light and then walked around the top of the front door. Both of them were on the porch for a while, but no visit to the bird house – at least, that I saw.

Okay. Have to get going!

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: birds, Ikea, Trader Joe's 28 Comments

Cold, Wind, Shopping & The Laundry Story

January 19, 2016 at 8:42 am by Claudia

Crap, it’s cold out there!

Yesterday was frigid, with a wind that was relentless. It pounded on my car as I drove to do some shopping. It nearly knocked me off my feet as I tried to navigate the shopping cart and put the bags in the trunk of the car. As I said on IG, I thought I might turn into an icicle.

After I unloaded all the bags from the car, trooped across the parking lot, and brought them up to the apartment, I made myself French Toast for lunch.

Because I deserved it.

And it was good!

1-19 alstromeria

More unbelievably inexpensive flowers from Trader Joe’s, in a vase I found in the cupboard over the refrigerator. Actors’ apartments usually accumulate a number of vases, as they are often sent flowers for opening night and don’t want or need to take the vase home with them. (I found another one, as well.)

From what I’ve read and/or heard directly from the employees, working for Trader Joe’s is a good thing. Everyone always seems happy to be there and I think the benefits and pay are good enough to keep employees working there for a long time. Heck, if there was one nearer to my home, I’d apply. I also like that they hire workers of all ages.

I won’t go into what I feel about Walmart, on the other hand, except to say I will not shop there.

1-19 marshmallows

How did these get in my bag?

You have to love Trader Joe’s packaging and graphics. How could I not bring these home with me?

I do have a complaint. TJ’s sells basmati rice. They sell jasmine rice. They sell wild rice. They do not sell brown rice, except in re-heatable form, which is dreadful and tasteless and soggy. Neither, apparently, does Target. The Target I go to here is much larger than the one I frequent back home and it has an extensive grocery section. No brown rice. Jasmine rice? Yes. Basmati rice? Yes. White rice? Yes. NO BROWN RICE. (Except for Minute Rice and I don’t want to go there.) I just want brown rice that I can cook for 45 minutes in a big old pot.

What the heck?

The Laundry Story: This apartment building has a washer and dryer on every floor. Every floor, that is, except for the one where my apartment is. We are given a laundry card when we arrive and there’s a machine on the 7th floor where we can add money to the card in order to operate the machines.

I wanted to do laundry on Sunday night, but I only had singles and the machine takes only 5, 10, or 20 dollar bills.

So yesterday, I got some cash and after all the shopping, decided to do my laundry. I went up a floor and put a load in the washer. Then I went up two floors and put my other load in the washer there.

I figured I’d combine both loads in one dryer. Since the dryer on the floor above me wasn’t working, I grabbed that load when it was finished and walked it up two floors to where the other load was just finishing. Both loads went in that dryer.

After the 60 minutes or so allotted to drying, I went up there to take the load out of the dryer.

It wasn’t dry. (This has happened to me before when staying here.) I inserted the card (more money, of course) to get more drying time. The dryer stopped working. It took the money, but nothing happened. At this point, another tenant came in with a load to wash and she tried to get it to work, but couldn’t.

I gathered everything up, went up two more floors to the ninth floor and stuck everything in that dryer. More money.

After sixty minutes, I went up there only to discover that one of my t-shirts had caught on something and the dryer door had opened and nothing had dried.

Insert many curses here. Many.

More money, as I fixed the t-shirt problem and re-inserted the card for another 60 minutes of drying.

What should have taken about 90 minutes, took three hours.

I did get a lot of exercise out of it.

Reward: Hot chocolate.

I was watching the local news last night and, much to my horror, the weather guy talked about a Nor’easter that might come in this weekend.

This weekend, as in the time I would like to go home for a visit.

I quickly grabbed my phone and checked out the weather app and what they are predicting isn’t pretty: 5-8 inches of snow during the day Saturday, with another 5 inches later that night. And more the next day.

Maybe they’re wrong? Maybe it will track further out to sea and we’ll be fine?

All I know is that our previously mild winter has taken a turn for the worse. It’s definitely January, my friends.

Sad, very sad, about the untimely death of Glenn Frey. Too young. I am a big Eagles fan and it’s impossible to imagine them without him. What a talent he was!

Too many losses in January.

I have one-on-one coaching sessions this afternoon. It’s still windy out there, in fact, there’s a wind advisory throughout the day. I’ll be bundled up as I make my way to the rehearsal studio.

Courtesy of Shelf Awareness, a quote from the late, great David Bowie on books and reading – on today’s Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: life, On The Road, snow, Trader Joe's 30 Comments

Pondering: The Dollhouse, Food & (The Absence of) Flowers

April 8, 2015 at 8:52 am by Claudia

4-8 DH

I haven’t done a speck of work on the dollhouse in the last couple of months.

I have big plans for the rooftop garden, as you know. I began to gather some things for the garden several months ago. But I’ve done nothing.

During the odd moment or two, I would idly wonder why I didn’t seem to have any desire to work on the garden. After all, it was winter, I was stuck inside a great deal of the time, why not lose myself in a little garden design?

I finally hit on the answer the other day. All of the other rooms are finished – at least, they’re finished in terms of the major decorating elements. I’m sure I’ll add a thing or two along the way. The rooftop garden will be the last ‘room’ design.

And then, I’ll be finished.

I’m thinking I don’t want  to be finished. That’s why I’ve been avoiding the roof. When that’s done, what will I do? Get another dollhouse, you say? Where would I put it? There’s only so much room in this little cottage and believe me, it’s all being used.

What’s a girl to do? Bite the bullet, I guess, and start on the rooftop.

But I’m not ready yet.

4-8 tj

It’s rainy and cold here, so nothing is going on outside. We decided to head to Trader Joe’s yesterday. Since it’s an hour away from us, we only go once or twice a month. After nicely filling our shopping cart, we headed back home, stopping to get Scout’s food at the Vet’s.

So I guess you can say that yesterday was all about food.

Shocking, I know, but I didn’t buy flowers. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I’m invested in the outside of our house right now? Anyway, mark yesterday down on your calendars. April 7, 2015: Claudia went to Trader Joe’s and didn’t buy flowers.

Don’s playing a gig in town on Saturday, with two of his friends backing him up. I can’t wait. Normally, I can’t go along on his gigs because I’d be away from Scout for too long. But this one is right down the road, so I’ll be there. I’m so excited!

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: dollhouse, Don, Trader Joe's 34 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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